ICYMI TRANSCRIPT: New Dem Leaders Hold Press Conference Unveiling Housing Action Plan to Build More Homes and Lower Costs
Today, New Democrat Coalition leaders Affordable Housing Task Force Chair Norma Torres (CA-35) and Vice Chair Wiley Nickel (NC-13), as well as New Democrat Coalition Vice Chairs Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24) led a press conference unveiling the Coalition’s Housing Action Plan to build more affordable housing and to bring down costs.
The comprehensive Housing Action Plan, which outlines past actions by New Dems and President Biden on affordable housing and charts a path for further action by Congress and the Administration.
The Housing Action Plan includes more than 20 policy recommendations that would make improvements to five key factors in affordable housing: the housing supply, permitting and zoning laws, federal financial incentives, the construction workforce, and data collection and transparency.
You can read the full transcript of the press conference below and read the comprehensive action plan here, and a one-pager here.
NDC Affordable Housing Task Force Chair Norma Torres:
Good afternoon everyone. I’m Congresswoman Norma Torres, I chair the New Dems Affordable Housing Task Force. It’s a pleasure to be here to discuss an issue that is truly personal to me. In 2005, I lost my home to a fire.
My family and I lived in temporary housing, including 2 hotels during the 14 months it took to rebuild our home. We struggled to find temporary housing that would accommodate my husband, my three sons, a pet and myself. To be without a home is physically, emotionally, and financially draining — it’s something no one should ever have to experience.
I’m proud to fight for affordable housing in Congress to protect Americans against the circumstances I faced. Including lack of appropriate temporary shelter, and made up liabilities like children and pets.
Lawmakers must create affordable housing options for renters and homeowners alike. Access to low-cost high-quality housing is an essential part of the American dream.
The stakes are clear: we are short around three million homes across the country.
In my district alone, there is a housing shortfall of at least 55,000 homes while another 80,000 others live on the brink of homelessness and in extreme poverty.
Too many people are living paycheck to paycheck. One roof leak, car accident, or health bill away from losing their home.
New Dems are about getting this done – and trust me when I say we are committed to cutting red tape to make housing accessible to everyone.
The New Democrat Coalition, 99 members strong – is committed to working with stakeholders – public and private partners – municipalities and housing developers alike – to finally build the critical housing units to end this housing crisis.
We must pass legislation reform like “Yes In My Backyard” to eliminate outdated zoning and permitting laws.
We must tackle supply chain problems and housing material shortages that delay the construction process. And we must reallocate emergency funding through the American Rescue Plan to help American families on the brink of facing eviction.
The housing crisis is tough but we are tougher. The New Dems Housing Action Plan that we are releasing today will lay the foundation for a future where Americans have a roof over their heads and money in their pockets. And to those tuning in – take this as an open invitation to reach out and work with us to make this a reality.
No more red tape. No more bureaucracy. Let's just get things done, and housing built. It is now my pleasure to introduce my colleague and Affordable Housing Task force Vice Chair,
Congressman Wiley Nickel.
NDC Affordable Housing Task Force Vice Chair Wiley Nickel:
Thanks so much for the introduction, Chair Torres.
Hi everyone - I’m Wiley Nickel, and I’m proud to represent North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District as a Vice Chair of the New Dems Affordable Housing Task Force and a member of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the nation’s housing and financial services sectors.
It’s great to be here alongside Vice Chair Kilmer, Vice Chair Carbajal, and Housing Task force Chair Torres. One of the top issues I'm hearing about from my constituents is the cost of housing. My district is one of the fastest growing districts in the nation.
We have more skilled workers, families, and businesses moving to the Raleigh area. Because of that, residents have seen the cost of housing skyrocket in the triangle. Right now, more than 343,000 households in North Carolina spend over half of their monthly income on rent, leaving too little for other expenses like health care, transportation, and nutritious food.
Access to safe and affordable housing is essential to the well-being of working families in North Carolina and throughout the country. That's why New Dems are working to put people over politics and increase the supply of affordable housing and to lower the cost of living for working families.
The Affordable Housing Action Plan that we’re unveiling today outlines some of the work that we’ve done already and what we need to do to address the affordable housing challenges we’re facing.
Of particular importance to my district is the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which boosts affordable rental housing in rural, suburban, and urban North Carolina. This program has financed 100,388 affordable homes in North Carolina since 1986. That’s a big deal for our state.
I’m proud that this action plan calls for the passage of Chair Emeritus DelBene’s bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to strengthen and extend the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit by increasing housing credit allocations.
The United States has a housing shortage of 2.3 million units. That’s why I’m proud that this plan also includes Vice Chair Kilmer’s Yes In My Backyard Act, which would incentivize the construction of more housing by removing discriminatory zoning policies and burdensome regulations.
Listen folks, as a Vice Chair of the New Dem Affordable Housing Task Force, I’ll continue to put forward common sense ideas and solutions to build more affordable housing, increase affordable housing access, and to tackle this crisis.
This has been a big priority for New Dems, especially under the leadership of Chair Torres.
Again, thank you for being here. Now, I’d like to turn it over to New Dem Vice Chair for Policy, Congressman Derek Kilmer from the great State of Washington.
NDC Vice Chair Derek Kilmer:
Thanks, Wiley. Thanks, everybody. Across our country, Americans are struggling to find a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. This crisis doesn't just affect the less fortunate, it touches the lives of working families and of seniors, young adults just starting out. It's a barrier to economic growth. It stifles opportunity and undermines the American dream and we can do better and we need to do better.
In my home state of Washington and across the nation, we've seen firsthand the impact of this housing shortage, families are feeling squeezed. And they're having to make these difficult economic choices. And that's really the driving force behind this New Dem Affordable Housing Task Force action plan. It is a bold commitment to address what I believe is one of the most pressing economic challenges facing people here in our country.
Thankfully, chaired by Congresswoman Torres the New Dems have developed what is really a comprehensive plan that not only reflects the strides that we've made with the Biden administration, but also lays out a plan going forward.
I want to quickly comment on the strides that have been made. Things like the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law do matter to housing and the new Dems were a driving force behind that there's an area in my district, where there was a large plot of land where Habitat for Humanity said without a sewer, we can build four housing units with a sewer, we can build 150 housing units, and thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, we're seeing the impact of that. But what the New dam Action Plan acknowledges is that there's more we need to do. Twenty policy recommendations targeting critical areas, such as increasing the housing supply, enhancing federal financial incentives, boosting the construction workforce and improving data collection and transparency.
It includes one of the bills that I'm the lead sponsor of, the amazingly titled ‘Yes in My Backyard Act’ to remove some of the discriminatory barriers to construction, burdensome regulations that block some of the housing development that is so sorely needed in our communities. These are common sense steps that will lead us toward a future where every American can find housing that they can afford.
And now, I will just add, New Dems have often been at the forefront of pursuing investments in housing that people can afford. And despite some opposition and proposed cuts by our friends across the aisle, the new Dems are steadfast in our resolve to ensure that every American can have a safe and affordable place to live and that's why this plan is important. It's a pledge to our communities. But we can't fulfill that pledge alone. This is a plan that calls for collaborative action between the administration, state and local governments, the private sector, communities around the nation and Democrats and Republicans here in Congress. Together, we can tackle this issue head on and ensure that our housing market works for everybody, not just the privileged few. So I hope our colleagues are listening to this critical mission and we invite their partnership on it.
NDC Vice Chair Salud Carbajal:
Thank you, Derek. Hi Everyone. New Dems are committed to tackling the big issues that Americans are facing – and in my district on the Central Coast of California, you cannot find a bigger issue than housing.
In fact, it’s one of the least affordable places in the nation. I’m grateful for the work of Chair Torres and Vice Chair Nickel to recap the important work that New Dems have already done with the Biden Administration; and the solutions we are proposing to continue lowering housing costs and improving access to quality housing.
What do we mean by that? We mean that we need to create more supply of affordable housing for first time homebuyers as well as renters.
Housing is a big challenge, one that needs a big solution.
Part of the reason this challenge is so large is that: this is a problem with a lot of causes: from chronic underinvestment and lack of workforce, to land use and permitting policies that are outdated and inefficient.
That is why we have more than 20 policy recommendations in our Action Plan.
I spent more than a decade in local government before coming to Congress, where we worked together to tackle housing and homelessness issues – regardless of party. This is not a partisan issue.
I hope his action plan can be a blueprint for similar cooperation and progress here in Congress and with the Biden administration who is working diligently to make sure that we address this crisis in our country. Thank you so much.
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